Written Answers Tuesday 20 December 2005

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) has any information in respect of planes carrying US Government officials which have stopped in transit at any HIAL airport in the last two years.

Tavish Scott: Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) records, and also provides to Customs and Excise/Immigration for all aircraft arriving from outwith EC countries, the following information:

  Aircraft registration; Aircraft type; Point of departure (last airfield before landing – this could be different from the home base); Next destination; Time of arrival/departure, and Type of flight i.e. visual or instrument rules. There is no requirement for HIAL to record or publish passenger/crew details of chartered/private flights.

Dentistry

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve dental health care among children aged around five years, in light of the findings of Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2005 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which stated that Glasgow had the worst dental decay among five-year-olds in the country.

Lewis Macdonald: In 2004, surveys recorded the best ever oral health for five-year-olds in Scotland. Glasgow also recorded the best oral health ever for five-year-olds in 2004. Oral health is improving; the report from the Joseph Rowntree organisation, however, confirms the need for us to continue with and to expand our present initiatives.

  The Scottish Executive in addition to on-going initiatives has pledged £4 million, £10 million and £15 million over the next three years for oral health improvement and comprehensive dental care of children. The combined programmes of health boards, nationally funded initiatives and new payments for prevention for local dental practitioners will make a significant impact on oral health between now and the end of the decade, with continued improvement expected over the next five years.

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards its Closing the Opportunity Gap target of reducing health inequalities by increasing the rate of improvement for under 75 coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality and under 75 cancer mortality (1995-2003) for the most deprived communities by 15% by 2008.

Mr Andy Kerr: For CHD, this target equates to reducing the standardised mortality rate for people in the most deprived areas by 21.7% between 2003 and 2008. During the first year of the target period, from 2003 to 2004, standardised mortality fell by 8.12%.

  For cancer, this target equates to reducing the standardized mortality rate for people in the most deprived areas by 10.06% between 2003 and 2008. During the first year of the target period, from 2003 to 2004, standardized mortality fell by 2.68%.

Health

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many admissions there were to each accident and emergency department in each of the last two years and, of these, how many (a) were taken by emergency ambulance and (b) required an in-patient bed, broken down by hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information is given in the document Accident & Emergency information 2004 - 2005 . A copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 38433).

  Information in the document includes:

  the numbers of attendances to hospital accident and emergency departments for the years ended 31 March 2004 and 2005. the numbers of emergency admissions to non-obstetric/non-psychiatric specialties by hospital/ location for the years ended 31 March 2004 and 2005. the number of incidents requiring an emergency ambulance by location for the years ended 31 March 2004 and 2005. Information on the numbers of accident and emergency attendances who proceed to hospital admission is not available, on a routine basis, from central statistical returns.

  Published information, from the annual Accident & Emergency Waiting Times Surveys 2000-2005, indicates approximately 15-20% of the new patients that attended during each survey period were admitted to a bed in the same hospital.

  In cases of emergency admission, many of these patients may have been admitted via accident and emergency departments but this is not explicitly stated in the source data. Patients may be admitted via other routes (for example, acute medical receiving wards).

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10147 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 September 2004, whether its review of prescription charge exemptions will include existing exemptions for chronic conditions, such as diabetes and asthma, with a view to maintaining such exemptions.

Mr Andy Kerr: The consultation document is currently being drafted and will be published early in the new year. The purpose of the consultation will be to encourage debate on ways of addressing acknowledged anomalies and inconsistencies in the current NHS prescription charge and exemption arrangements. Whether or not the current list of exempted chronic conditions should be altered is a central issue and one where the responses to the consultation will inform future decisions by the Executive.

NHS Hospitals

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out into the impact of the closure of community hospitals on the delivery of services.

Mr Andy Kerr: Community Hospitals play a key role in treating patients who cannot be cared for at home but who do not require the specialist care provided by acute hospitals. Community hospitals remain a key resource in the delivery of care.

  When considering possible closure of any hospitals in their areas, NHS boards are required to undertake public consultations to give as many people as possible the opportunity to be involved in shaping the future of health services in their areas.

  Before I am invited to give formal approval to any such closures, the relevant board must provide evidence that the proposed closure will be to the benefit of the local community, and that suitable alternative arrangements are in place, in terms of providing a more efficient, more modern service that properly caters for the needs of patients and staff.

  As far as we are aware, no research has been carried out into the impact of community hospital closures on the delivery of services.

NHS Hospitals

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of the 10 busiest accident and emergency departments, showing the number of admissions to each department in the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the 10 busiest accident and emergency (A&E) departments is not available. Hospitals with the highest number of attendances, based on total attendances over five years are shown in the table.

  

 
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005P
 Total


 Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh/Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France (from Jan 02)
 92,961
 93,062
 87,792
 73,568
 79,612
 426,995


 Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow
 73,523
 73,259
 72,537
 70,771
 69,147
 359,237


 Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General
 72,105
 71,620
 70,813
 71,370
 70,941
 356,849


 Glasgow Royal Infirmary
 73,857
 71,917
 69,105
 68,166
 66,933
 349,978


 Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
 76,113
 76,139
 70,882
 62,570
 57,798
 343,502


 Monklands Hospital
 66,498
 64,197
 59,711
 63,572
 63,735
 317,713


 Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley
 60,167
 59,391
 57,945
 59,985
 62,866
 300,354


 Crosshouse Hospital
 57,121
 58,005
 57,015
 59,893
 60,862
 292,896


Law Hospital / Wishaw General Hospital(from May 01)
 47,625
 52,597
 57,964
 60,110
 60,074
 278,370



  Source: ISD(S)1.

  For this analysis, the source data known as ISD(S)1 is a routine statistical count of patients treated in A&E by a consultant.

NHS Hospitals

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of the 10 busiest accident and emergency departments in terms of emergency admissions for cerebrovascular accidents and myocardial infarctions, showing the number of admissions to each department in the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the temporary staffing costs were in respect of (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) other healthcare professionals, (d) managers and (e) administrative staff in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the temporary staffing costs in respect of four of the five groups listed above is not collected centrally; however separate costs are available for nursing staff (both agency and bank) and we can provide an overall total for the cost of employing agency staff which is reported in the Annual Accounts of NHS Boards.

  (a) Nursing agency costs from 2000-01 to 2004-05 (earlier years are not available) broken down by NHS boards, as detailed in the national workforce unit’s report E13 were:

  Table 1

  

 NHS Board
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Argyll and Clyde
 1,173,177
 2,564,538
 3,002,461
 2,837,989
 2,399,820


 Ayrshire and Arran
 388,119
 385,617
 1,083,256
 827,622
 568,646


 Borders
 96,918
 178,974
 407,798
 516,707
 674,993


 Dumfries and Galloway
 127
 371
 0
 19,252
 85,784


 Fife
 1,389,352
 1,638,892
 1,635,976
 1,631,124
 2,144,417


 Forth Valley
 573,082
 876,023
 758,223
 729,551
 1,524,579


 Grampian
 1,040,165
 1,359,696
 2,054,664
 1,711,241
 1,017,355


 Greater Glasgow
 2,629,883
 6,603,105
 7,346,835
 7,934,076
 6,170,176


 Highland
 301,181
 238,634
 372,519
 302,722
 335,262


 Lanark shire
 317,737
 1,607,144
 1,159,332
 1,331,123
 227,000


 Lothian
 6,089,772
 5,102,943
 8,597,611
 10,982,965
 10,204,173


 Orkney
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Shetland
 8,927
 36,159
 2,214
 0
 29,277


 Tayside
 23,880
 2,401,805
 1,350,881
 677,353
 762,909


 Western Isles
 0
 0
 0
 0
 105,965


 Total
 14,032,320
 22,993,901
 27,771,770
 29,501,725
 26,250,355



  (b) Costs for nursing bank staff from 1999-2000 to 2004-05 (earlier years are not available) as detailed in the national workforce unit’s report E16 were:

  Table 2

  

 NHS Board
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Argyll and Clyde
 1,673,279
 1,506,181
 2,533,539
 2,666,609
 3,033,636
 3,845,105


 Ayrshire and Arran
 1,439,347
 1,812,331
 1,819,576
 2,096,593
 2,699,052
 4,041,457


 Borders
 792,884
 795,801
 1,018,589
 1,115,655
 1,170,090
 1,163,274


 Dumfries and Galloway
 31,415
 52,375
 147,115
 115,311
 1,139,767
 1,237,463


 Fife
 1,388,807
 1,595,587
 1,617,970
 2,100,480
 2,966,666
 3,439,099


 Forth Valley
 476,492
 662,148
 886,365
 2,434,083
 3,192,378
 3,792,328


 Grampian
 2,794,692
 3,497,168
 3,698,407
 3,957,524
 5,553,741
 6,288,550


 Greater Glasgow
 4,030,295
 5,124,811
 6,514,898
 8,731,890
 10,408,370
 13,545,197


 Highland
 1,072,801
 1,312,767
 1,616,360
 1,841,334
 2,328,607
 2,781,153


 Lanark shire
 922,466
 1,514,963
 1,553,540
 2,388,251
 3,073,513
 4,785,499


 Lothian
 5,234,604
 5,086,944
 7,625,672
 9,008,573
 10,832,710
 13,063,214


 Orkney
 97,334
 118,837
 215,985
 239,090
 228,388
 206,850


 Shetland
 128,867
 141,128
 153,639
 206,355
 260,667
 249,150


 Tayside
 1,048,854
 1,377,304
 1,603,695
 1,650,132
 2,153,683
 2,462,995


 Western Isles
 162,503
 276,883
 245,671
 363,315
 475,096
 545,877


 Total
 21,294,641
 24,875,227
 31,251,021
 38,915,194
 49,516,363
 61,447,213



  One of the Partnership Agreement Commitments is to implement Nationally Co-Ordinated Nurse Bank Arrangements to assist nurse placement across Scotland, to improve patient services and cut costs of agency nursing.

  The increase in the number of bank staff used is in line with recommendations made within the report and Action Plan of the Nationally Co-Ordinated Nurse Bank Arrangements project and reflects our policy on reducing the reliance on agency nurses in NHSScotland.

  Effectively managed Nurse Banks allow NHS employers to deploy resources effectively and safely in light of service demands, while affording individual staff members improved flexibility in their employment that better meet work/life demands. Bank staff are employees of NHSScotland, are deployed by individual NHS employers to cover temporary nursing gaps and as such have access to training and career opportunities.

  A project manager has been appointed to 2007, to take forward the 18 recommendations set out in the Nursing and Midwifery Workload and Workforce Planning report, which will impact on bank and agency usage.

  A national contract for the provision of agency nurses, through the Best Procurement Initiative, (BPI) is in place. The BPI is part of NHSScotland’s agenda for modernising support services and is an important element of the Executive’s Efficient Government initiative aimed at delivering public services to the highest possible quality in Scotland. A contract was initially established in the West of Scotland in November 2003 and this was rolled out to the North and East of Scotland in November 2004. At February 2005, savings of £2.4 million had been achieved and it is anticipated that the contract will deliver savings of approximately £7 million per annum by 2006-07.

  (c) Total agency costs for NHS boards as reported in the annual accounts of NHS Boards and Trusts are included in tables 3 and 4. This is defined as the gross cost of all payments to employment agencies for the provision of agency staff of all disciplines and is show in tables 3 and 4 below; these figures will not include nurse bank staff. No breakdown by NHS board is readily available for 1995-96 and 1996-97.

  Table 3

  

 
 (£000)


 1995-96
 48,303 


 1996-97
 38,747 



  A breakdown for each NHS board is available for the years 1997-98 to 2004-05 and is shown in the following table:

  Table 4

  

 Board Area
1997-98
(£000)
1998-99
(£000)
1999-2000
(£000)
2000-01
(£000)
2001-02
(£000)
2002-03
(£000)
2003-04
(£000)
2004-05
(£000)


 Argyll and Clyde
 4,802
 6,321
 6,514
 7,104
 8,936
 12,619
 9,607
 7,658


 Ayrshire and Arran
 1,300
 1,492
 1,399
 1,723
 2,144
 2,981
 2,927
 3,188


 Borders
 362
 243
 449
 819
 773
 1,006
 1,434
 1,537


 Dumfries and Galloway
 744
 893
 725
 1,133
 942
 1,335
 2,003
 2,346


 Fife
 1,532
 2,188
 2,250
 2,898
 3,196
 4,223
 4,212
 6,025


 Forth Valley
 2,869
 3,031
 2,001
 2,876
 3,792
 4,626
 5,476
 6,083


 Grampian
 1,444
 1,662
 2,724
 3,312
 3,905
 5,672
 4,913
 1,482


 Greater Glasgow
 9,915
 12,264
 14,199
 20,639
 23,719
 28,993
 30,715
 13,258


 Highland
 1,395
 1,320
 1,179
 1,036
 1,425
 2,344
 2,635
 5,687


 Lanarkshire
 2,279
 2,192
 2,470
 1,750
 3,125
 2,937
 2,031
 2,000


 Lothian
 11,856
 12,633
 12,638
 16,520
 17,629
 21,413
 24,949
 24,999


 Orkney
 -
 209
 209
 182
 356
 376
 341
 370


 Shetland
 -
 341
 337
 563
 891
 696
 809
 1,151


 Tayside
 5,033
 5,697
 5,430
 5,544
 8,224
 8,937
 9,331
 4,087


 Western Isles
 -
 86
 119
 283
 401
 517
 491
 1,227


 Total
 43,531
 50,572
 52,643
 66,382
 79,458
 98,675
 101,874
 81,098

Nursing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in standardising the education modules for the school nursing service across Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: The competencies developed by NHS Education for Scotland provide the mechanism for ensuring that education programmes for the school nursing service have a core of standardisation across Scotland while still allowing local flexibility.

  The public health nursing programme leads to the award of a specialist practitioner qualification which is a Nursing and Midwifery Council approved programme, and thus has standards and outcomes set on a UK-wide basis.

  The specialist practitioner qualification in public health nursing, which includes a section on school nursing, is not a modular programme but a course of study at degree level.

Nursing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent nurses have been working in schools in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005, broken down by local authority area.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally by local authority area. However, it is available by health board area and is shown in the following table.

  Number of Qualified School Nurses (Whole-Time Equivalent) by NHS Board at 31 March 2005

  

NHS Board
2003
2004
2005


Scotland
294.0
330.7
309.4


Argyll and Clyde
22.7
20.5
21.6


Ayrshire and Arran
26.1
24.3
30.1


Borders
5.1
4.7
6.7


Dumfries and Galloway
7.4
8.8
9.8


Fife
27.3
24.9
29.5


Forth Valley
13.6
15.0
14.6


Grampian
33.8
37.2
35.5


Greater Glasgow
53.8
58.2
56.3


Highland
14.7
19.7
19.5


Lanarkshire
43.8
42.9
42.3


Lothian
19.0
18.2
16.8


Orkney
N/A
1.0
1.0


Shetland
0.7
0.7
0.7


Tayside
22.0
20.8
21.2


Western Isles
4.0
3.7
3.7



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Note: Whole-time equivalent adjusts headcount staff figures to take account of part-time staff.

Nursing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number is of schoolchildren covered by each nurse working in school nursing service teams.

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-20232 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 November 2005, how the ratio of school children to school nurses for 2004 compares with the equivalent figures for the previous five years.

Lewis Macdonald: The ratio of school children to school nurses for 1999 to 2004 is shown in the following table:

  Ratio of School Children to School Nurses1

  

 NHS Board
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004


 Scotland
 2,304:1
 2,206:1
 2,057:1
 2,072:1
 2,113:1
 1,900:1


 Argyll and Clyde
 2,170:1
 2,209:1
 2,266:1
 2,065:1
 2,226:1
 2,240:1


 Ayrshire and Arran
 2,476:1
 2,451:1
 2,189:1
 2,043:1
 1,809:1
 1,708:1


 Borders
 2,956:1
 3,560:1
 2,270:1
 2,276:1
 2,618:1
 2,472:1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2,134:1
 2,308:1
 1,963:1
 1,692:1
 1,938:1
 1,460:1


 Fife
 1,655:1
 1,647:1
 1,644:1
 1,559:1
 1,671:1
 1,682:1


 Forth Valley
 2,909:1
 2,927:1
 2,150:1
 2,487:1
 2,625:1
 2,098:1


 Grampian
 1,895:1
 1,701:1
 1,624:1
 1,733:1
 1,731:1
 1,456:1


 Greater Glasgow
 2,322:1
 2,197:1
 2,154:1
 2,407:1
 2,152:1
 1,825:1


 Highland
 1,982:1
 1,690:1
 1,546:1
 1,536:1
 1,745:1
 1,275:1


 Lanarkshire
 2,455:1
 2,002:1
 1,990:1
 1,873:1
 1,825:1
 1,744:1


 Lothian
 3,752:1
 4,125:1
 3,039:1
 3,644:1
 4,723:1
 4,528:1


 Orkney
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 3,361:1


 Shetland
 4,447:1
 4,370:1
 4,274:1
 4,285:1
 4,247:1
 3,951:1


 Tayside
 1,709:1
 1,632:1
 1,694:1
 1,534:1
 1,645:1
 1,625:1


 Western Isles
 2,431:1
 4,687:1
 4,586:1
 2,284:1
 1,132:1
 1,057:1


 NHS National Services Scotland
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A



  Note:1. N/A – not available.

Nursing

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in ensuring that NHS boards increase resources allocated to school nursing in order to meet the commitments outlined in A Scottish framework for nursing in schools .

Lewis Macdonald: Health boards have received record uplifts in resources in recent years with an average 7.6% increase in funding in 2005-06, well above the rate of inflation. It is for each health board to plan and deliver services, including school nursing, within these resources to meet the needs of its resident population.

Planning

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in the light of the responses to its White Paper, Modernising the Planning System , and in particular whether any of its proposals have been amended or developed further.

Malcolm Chisholm: The generally very positive response to the Planning White Paper has reinforced our determination to introduce its wide-ranging and radical programme of modernisation. There are some issues which were unresolved at the time of the white paper’s launch on which we have now reached conclusions, and some issues on which our thinking has developed or changed. These are:

  1. We have considered the many representations calling for planning’s role in promoting sustainable development to be given a statutory basis. We do recognise that Scotland’s future depends on development that is sustainable, in environmental, economic and social terms. As revitalised development plans will be at the heart of the modernised planning system, there should be an explicit requirement for those plans to be prepared with due regard to the principles of sustainable development. We have therefore concluded that the planning bill should include a duty on planning authorities to exercise their development planning function with the objective of contributing to sustainable development. They will also be required to have regard to any guidance issued by Scottish ministers.

  2. As promised in the white paper, we have considered further the role that the Parliament should play in the preparation of the National Planning Framework. We do of course intend that there should be widespread and detailed consultation with all interests, including parliamentarians, on an early draft of the framework. We have concluded that the Parliament should have a further and formal role in the process, and the planning bill will establish a procedure by which the proposed National Planning Framework will be submitted to Parliament. A period for parliamentary consideration will follow, to allow Parliament to set out its view on the framework in a report or formal resolution. Ministers will then be obliged to have regard to any such report or resolution, and to set out how the framework has been changed in consequence to it.

  3. We are proposing to strengthen the package of reforms still further by addressing key areas highlighted in responses to the white paper. Any necessary changes to the legislation will be introduced at stage 2 of the planning bill. These measures will include:

  Further measures to toughen up the way enforcement cases are dealt with. Some measures were identified as requiring further consideration in relation to planning enforcement. The planning bill will include provisions for the establishment of Good Neighbour Agreements. The bill will also provide for a reduction in the grounds of appeal against an enforcement notice. We intend to go even further on other enforcement measures, including the potential introduction of new financial penalties.

  Proposals for enhancing transparency and accountability in local authority interest cases, particularly where they are contrary to the local plan and have attracted significant opposition. In such cases, which will require to be notified to ministers, we intend to: require local authorities to explain more fully their reasons for departing from their own plans; increase the Executive’s powers to monitor local authority proposals for development, and increase the transparency with which the Executive processes such cases once they are notified to ministers.

  Further proposals to enhance inclusion and public participation in the planning system, including by requiring pre-application consultations for all major applications.

  4. There were a number of representations that the proposal to replace outline planning permission with approval in principle by means of identification in the development plan would not be workable. We have accepted that this measure should not be pursued. The planning bill will, however, include provisions to modernise the procedures in relation to outline planning permission. In particular, it will ensure that the key issues of detail determined subsequent to the granting of planning permission in principle, will also be subject to the same level of transparency and scrutiny as if they had formed part of a detailed planning application.

  5. The planning bill will additionally legislate for the creation of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). The overall aim of BIDs is to increase economic growth and stability by enabling businesses to take forward their own priorities in the area in which they are located. It will assist towards the drive to regenerate and improve city and town centres in Scotland by providing additional funding towards agreed improvements. It will also encourage partnership working between the public and private sectors by providing an equal forum for businesses, local authorities and other public bodies to discuss mutually beneficial priorities.

Physical Education

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive for what average number of hours per week school children have participated in organised physical activity in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) local authority area, (b) age and (c) gender.

Peter Peacock: Information on the total amount of physical activity undertaken by school children in and around the school day is not held centrally.

  However, in May 2005 the Scottish Executive Education Department asked schools to provide the average curriculum time per pupil set aside in the 2004-05 school year for mandatory, taught physical education within the standard school week. The purpose of this survey was to provide a baseline assessment of the starting position from which progress towards the target of two hours quality physical education for each pupil, every week could be measured. This baseline data will be included in a report on progress towards meeting the recommendations of the Physical Education Review Group. It is intended to publish the report shortly.

  The figures provided do not include one-off initiatives such as health week or activity afternoons, optional activities nor specialist provision. Figures are broken down by local authority and by stage, but not by gender.

Roads

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the traffic capacity is of the A80 through Cumbernauld.

Tavish Scott: There is not a definitive capacity for the A80 through Cumbernauld. However, given the current flows of around 70,000 vehicles each day and operational conditions currently experienced on the A80, it is considered that at certain times of the day, the flow is approaching the operational capacity for the existing road.

Roads

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the new Auchenkilns interchange has had on the traffic capacity of the A80.

Tavish Scott: The new Auchenkilns grade-separated junction, which previously existed as an at-grade roundabout, will improve the journey time and journey time reliability for travellers by removing a specific constraint on the road. Performance of the route is still constrained by conditions on the A80 between Stepps and Haggs.

Scottish Executive Equipment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mobile phones were used by (a) ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in each of its departments in each year since 1999; how much each mobile phone cost, and how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen.

Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has purchased 1,447 mobile phones over the past seven years for use by Ministers, special advisors and officials. The mobiles are purchased using a central government contract for the supply of mobile phones at a total cost of £58,714, which equates to an average cost of £40.58 per phone. The distribution of phones purchased in each year is as shown in the following table.

  Mobile Phones Purchased in Each Year

  

 Year
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 No.
 35
 83
 159
 237
 351
 314
 268


 Cost (£)
 487
 945
 7359
 3531
 16841
 16193
 13358



  Information is not held centrally on the allocation of phones between ministers, special advisors or officials, as this data is not recorded when phones are ordered.

  The total number of mobile phones within the Executive which were reported as lost or stolen are as follows:

  Mobile Phones Reported as Lost or Stolen in Each Year

  

 Financial Year:
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Lost or stolen
 2
 7
 1
 1
 3
 4



  The figures for both tables refer only to mobile phones procured through Scottish Executive contracts and not to other devices, such as personal digital assistants, which may include mobile phone functions.

Transport

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21147 by Tavish Scott on 8 December 2005, whether it will provide a breakdown of the £16.3 million it has spent to date on the Edinburgh Tram Network.

Tavish Scott: A breakdown of the £16.3 million spend to date is summarised in the following table:-

  

 Area of Spend
 Background
 Value


 Business Case Development
 Interim Outline Business Case development to determine the optimum finance and procurement strategy ahead of project commencement
£1.2 million


 Design Partnering and Franchise Operating
 Operational expertise brought in to inform the design programme.
£1.5 million


 Project Implementation 
 Detailed design and costs
£12.7 million


 Parliamentary Bills
 Support for costs of taking both Private Bills through Parliament.
£0.9 million


 Total
 
£16.3 million

Vaccines

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) 65 and over and (b) under 65 and in a high risk category have received the flu vaccine this year, broken down by NHS board area, expressed also as a percentage of eligible people in those two categories.

Mr Andy Kerr: For those aged 65 and over the provisional vaccine uptake figure by the end of November 2005 NHS board is as follows:

  

 NHS Board 
 Uptake
 % Total Uptake


 Ayrshire and Arran 
 38,150
 52.5


 Argyll and Clyde
 43,804
 69.2


 Borders 
 12,396
 72.7


 Dumfries and Galloway
 19,590
 73.3


 Fife 
 43,389
 74.4


 Forth Valley 
 29,500
 71.8


 Greater Glasgow
 93,122
 69.2


 Grampian
 57,679
 71.4


 Highland 
 24,656
 67.8


 Lanarkshire
 53,678
 69.3


 Lothian
 80,227
 75.2


 Orkney
 1,923
 77.1


 Shetland
 2,290
 69.1


 Tayside
 50,693
 71.4


 Western Isles
 3,328
 58.6


 Scotland 
 554,425
 69.5



  Please note that this is an early stage in the vaccination programme and uptake will increase over time.

  As stated in the Chief Medical Officer’s letter CMO (2005)7 to NHSScotland, Health Protection Scotland requests general practices to provide an estimation of vaccine uptake in the under 65 year at risk categories, as a once only exercise. However, this information will not be requested until the end of December and will be available mid January.